Improvement in harness



strut (titille.

JOHN K. HARRIS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

/ Letters Patent No. 91,127, dated June 8, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part cf the same.

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN K. HARRIS, bf Springfield, in the county of Clark, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harness; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1- and 2 are 'perspective views.

Figures 3 and 4 are similar views, representing a modification.

Figures f5 and 6 show the improved and the .modified form in section.

Figure 7 is a detached view of that form of strap and elastic apparatuswhich I use in connection with the breast-plate.

Figure 8 is a perspective: view of a portion of the shaft, showing the hooked fastenings.

Figures 9, 10, and 11, represent different modifica tions of the harness-plate, into which the hooks of the shalt, fasten.

Figures 12, 13, and 14, represent a modified form of the shaf`t-f`astenings and harness-plate, corresponding to those shown in figs. 3, 4, and 6.

Figure 15 is a perspective view, showing the arrangement of my improved device, when employediu the breast-plate, instead of' in the holdback.

Figure 16 is a detached view of the fastening, employed in connection with the belly-bandfillet and saddle-tree straps. v

This invention relates to the harness patented by H. C. Smith, July 10, 1866, and improved by J. K. Harris, May 26, 1868, and comprises further improvements upon said harness, for the purpose of making it lighter,- safer, neater in appearance, more economical in construction, and more convenient of operation. To this end,

The invention, consists,\f`1rst, in a better form and construction ofthe elastic apparatus; secondly, in the application of' such apparatus to the hold'back, as well as to the breast-plate; thirdly, in a more secure method of attaching the thills to the holdback-strap; and fourthly, in an improved form of the plate which fastens the saddle-straps and belly-band to the holdback-strap.

In the drawings- A represents the breast-plate;

B, the shoulder-strap;

C C, the holdback-straps;

D, the belly-band;

E, the saddle-strap; and` F, the shaft or thill.

Myimprovernents are applied to these parts in the manner which I will now proceed to describe.

In the first place, the elastic apparatus is so reduced and modified, that it can be entirely concealed within the holdback, without giving said parts a bnngling appearance, and without interfering with the action of the springs and stop.

To this end, the apparatus is constructed substantially as shown in figs. 5, 6, and 7, and as shown in dotted lines in figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 15.

As thus constructed, it consists of a plate, M, having a side-loop or eye, m, lateral and terminal anges (t a', and a top loop or eye, m, in connection with two (more or less) flexible guide-rods or thongs, c c, cxtending through the terminal flange of plate M, and attached to the strap G, a spiral spring, H, and a block, h, which unites and supports the ends off. the rods or 'thongs c c.

'Ihe thongs and springs c H are not arranged at the side of the plate M, or inside of it, as-heretofore, but extend beyond its end, in line with it, thus diminishing the lateral space required to accommodate the plate, and at the same time enabling the springs to be made of any length that may be best for the purpose, instead of' confining them to the length of the plate.

The advantage of this improved arrangement will be obvious Without further description.

The thongs being cxible, and the springs likewise, they impart no rigidity or stiffness to the harness.

The whole apparatus, plate, springs, thongs, and

all, can be concealed within the body of the holdback, as shown in figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, as well as in the breast-plate, as shown by fig. 15. In case it is to be concealed within the breast-plate, the eyes 'm m may be omitted, as they would not be needed, and would be in the way, they being designed for use in connection with the holdback.

It will be observed that when applied to the holdback, the device renders the latter elastic, with a stop to limit the degree of elasticity, for the purposes described in the former patents, above referred to, and at'the same time it furnishes an eye to fasten and support the shafts, and another, to which to attach the saddle-straps and belly-band.

The side flanges serve as guides to the strap G, as seen in fig. 7, and the strap being made double at that point, it is further guided by a rib or bar, m2, passing between the two parts of the strap, and allowing it to play back and forth on either side, without any tendency to disengage itself from the clasp or plate M.

The whole arrangement is extremely simple, neat, and substantial, although answering such a variety of purposes. Its application will be fully understood by an examination ofthe drawings, figs. 1, 2, 5.

In figs. 3, 4, and 6, the same device is shown modied, by the use of a hook adapted to entera vertical eye in the shaft-plate, as in Smiths patent, above referred to.

Fig. 12 represents Smiths shaft, or rather a slight modification thereof, which I have employed.

Fig. 14 represents a form of plate M, that may be used in connection with Smiths shaft, if preferred, the hook n being substituted for the eye m..

In this figure thc form of the part m2 is clearly shown, and at the opposite end of the plate are seen holes to accommodate the thongs c c, which pass through that end of' the plate, and receive the springs at their further end.

It will be observed, by comparing figs. 3, 4, 6, and 12, that Smith attaches his thills tothe harness by lifting them up until the vertical slots or sockets come directly over the hooks n, and then lowering them, so that the hooks will enter the sockets and hold the shafts. The belly-band then passes down over the shaft, and tends to keep it from being thrown up so as to disengage the shaft from the harness-hooks.

This device I have improved upon, by the employment of the lateral eye m, instead of the harnesshook, and the shafthook f, instead ofthe eye or socket on the shalt.

The hooks fare formed upon a plate, F', which is fastened to the inner side ofthe shaft, as shown in fig. 8.-

The hooks extend downward, and then bend ontward under the shaft, so that when once engaged in the lateral eyes m m of the harness, a direct upwaul draught will not disengage them. The belly-band then passes down over the thills, as in Smiths device, and answers the same purpose. But if it should be come unfastened, there is no danger that the thills would jump up, so as to diseugage from the harness, for the hooks f f would prevent them from disconnect ing in such manner. The device is, therefore, manifestly superior to Smiths, in point of safety.

When the elastic apparatus is employed, in connection with the breast-plate, a lateral eye, m, is needed, just as much as when the arrangement shown in figs. 1, 2, and 5, is employed. But in such case, the other parts of plate M are not needed, and I may omit them altogether, employing in their place the device shown in figs. 15 and 16.

This device consists of a dat, smooth plate or disk, o, which comes on the inner side of the strap; two standards, r fr, projecting horizontally from the disk; a bar, t, which unites the ends of the standard, forniing a loop, m, just like that above described, and for the same purpose; and a bar, s, between bar t and plate o, arranged so as to leave a space, u, between it and the plate.

i i i A lateral slot is made in the holdback, andthe device is inserted from the inner side, unt-il the plate i o rests againstthe holdhack. The holdback being idouble at this point, the belly-hand may be drawn i down between the two parts of the holdback, .lividing them, and passing through the slot u, as will be understood from fig. l5, and its end be brought up outside of the holdback, but still within the slot u, and riveted just above, as fully shown in said fig. 15, by which means it will key the metallic plate or fastening very firmly to the harness.

If this construction is not preferred, the part o may be omitted, and the ends of the standards r r may simply be made to extend in through one thickness or plate of leather, and be headed, riveted, or otherwise fastened between the two leather plates, so as to hold the eye m firmly, and yet not he visible on the inner side of the holdback.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The arrangement of the springs H, thongs c c, and plate M, as described, the spring and thongs extending from the end ofthe plate, so as not to add to the lateral space required Yfor it, substantially as and for the purposes Specified.

2. The combination of the side-loop or hook m or n with the plate M, when the latter is 'employed in connection with the springs H and thongs c, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. Arranging the elastic apparatus M H c h within the body of the holdback, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of a thillsupporting hook or eye with an elastic holdbackr substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. Attaching the thills to the harness by means of thill-hooks ff, and haruess-eyes mm, constructed and arranged so as to pevent disengaging by an upwaul pressure upon the thills, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

To the above specification of my improvement, I have set my hand, this 26th day of May, 1860.

' JOHN K. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

Guss. A. Pnr'rrr, N. K. ELLswonrH. 

